The first week we come to college with mostly hope and eagerness about all the new opportunities we might have but we also have a list of things built in the backs of our heads about what we WILL get out of this first day, week, or year. And by all means, if it doesn't go that way, whoooweee momma you're getting a phone call. College is great and so is the first week, but there's nothing more disappointing than thinking you're more than 100% prepared and then you open that first door with a smack in the face..yep, reality...are we ever really prepared?
Friends, Friends, Friends!!!!
Yaaasss!! I cannot wait to have a new girl gang!!
GiphyHonestly, if you don't come to college with the expectations of making 49738439082092 new friends, I don't know what species you even are. I literally thought I would go down the elevator and make a friend, stop to tie my shoe and make a friend, drop my phone and make a friend, walk into class and make 200 friends. Okay, you get the point. BUT SERIOUSLY! I figured JUST being accepted to my college was going to automatically give me 10 friends. In all reality though it wasn't like this at all. I mean, yes, you have the opportunity to make hundreds of new friends and you do walk in with thousands of potential friends, but it isn't as easy as we all thought. Back home I am a social butterfly so it wasn't anything to do with being shy, it's just kind of awkward getting your first words out to a completely new person. Like "are they going to think I'm weird?" "Are they going to shut the convo down?" After you get all of these thoughts in your head you're just like "nah, I'm not gonna say anything." But I PROMISE, everyone is thinking that exact same thing! Everyone is thinking "omg, I want new friends" but HOWWW?!?! Unfortunately, everyone is just scared of the same, totally unrealistic, awkward scenario that you are. So when you're in the elevator with that other girl and want to say something, DO IT!!! Chances are she was thinking the same thing, and then BOOM, a friend.
#DormLife
What if I hate my roommate?!?!?
Giphy"The only bad thing about freshman year is the dorms." Says almost everyone. However, I think that was one of the most inaccurate beliefs I made pre-college. I have loved every part of dorm life since I've been here. And if it wasn't for the dorms I wouldn't have met anyone! All of my friends I've made have been through the dorm. Of course there can be ups and downs, like having a bad roommate, not agreeing on things with the people living with/next to you, etc. But the downs DO NOT outweigh the pros! I think of it as having the best day ever and then dropping your soda; the day was good but just a slight inconvenience occurred. If you figure out a good system with your roommate/suite-mates there honestly isn't much else to go wrong. Living in the dorms are so fun and don't let the prehistoric belief that they're terrible set the mood for your experience!
Syllabus Week
Do I party or study????
Giphy"It's Sylly week!!" becomes an instant excuse to slack the first week of college. I really think I was told by at least 50 people that Sylly week should only consist of partying...every day. Honestly, Sylly week is how you make it. You can choose to go with the flow and party until 2 am and suffer through the class because you know the night before and the next night was/will be worth it or you can defy the norms and stay in and be proactive. And by proactive, I mean you can literally sit in and do up to multiple weeks worth of homework. Your professors usually give you up to a months worth of homework on the first day so it's easy to feel like you're ALREADY drowning, which might make you wanna hermit for the first week and do all of your assignments. However, Sylly week is THE week to party and put yourself out there, so if you want to push away the piling assignments and worry about them next week, YOU HAVE TIME. Everyone around you is probably feeling the same so it's ok to wanna go out! Again, this first week is YOUR week, take it how you want. The one thing you should do Sylly week, is listen to yourself, not the pressure of others. If you're lost and have no clue if you should be the good college student and do all your assignments for the next month to be ahead or to let yourself go and find your inner party animal, you should balance it out. Do both, do neither, do the homework, or take the shot, but just do you before you do anything else. Sylly week is about you and making the most of your first week at college!
Dining Halls
Yay or Nay
GiphySoooo dining halls...you can either come into college with 2 thoughts about the dining halls: YAY or nay. No, they ain't nothing like your momma's home cooked meals. But they also aren't trash like your high school's lunch. Usually universities have more than one dining hall so you're not always eating the same thing. There's a pretty decent variety of food if you don't mind walking to the places that aren't closest to you and usually the walk isn't bad at all. The people serving are sometimes students, but no matter who it is, they're always pretty nice. And, they have breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert. So really, you shouldn't complain. It's always good to have extra snacks on the days you just wanna be a hermit but the dining halls are fairly nice. They also make a great place to eat AND study; the best of both worlds.
Involvement
We all have those days where we just CAN'T
GiphyThe thing that no one tells you about college is that it's ok to NOT be involved. People in school (especially college) act like involvement makes you some type of celebrity and that if you don't get involved you're lazy and missing out on the ultimate college experience. Whether it's greek life, clubs, sports, meetings, school wide events, I feel like the typical freshman gets pushed under by the influence of going out and doing all these things. Don't get me wrong, if you're goal is to be the most involved student at your school, then by all means, go do it! DO YOU! You should always do what makes you happy. But I'm speaking for the kids who are antisocial, or feel overwhelmed by moving away and just don't wanna do much, or for the kids who just want to hangout in their hall and communicate with the people around them. It's okay to not go out and do every item on the "welcome week" calendar. If you want to wait for a few days, weeks, months, or maybe until the next semester to go out and start being involved, that is perfectly fine. You will not get behind and you still get all the opportunities everyone else gets!
Going to the cinema alone is good for your mental health, says science
women in street dancing
Photo by 
man and woman standing in front of louver door
Photo by 
man in black t-shirt holding coca cola bottle
Photo by 
red and white coca cola signage
Photo by 
man holding luggage photo
Photo by 
topless boy in blue denim jeans riding red bicycle during daytime
Photo by 
trust spelled with wooden letter blocks on a table
Photo by 
Everyone is Welcome signage
Photo by 
man with cap and background with red and pink wall l
Photo by 
difficult roads lead to beautiful destinations desk decor
Photo by 
photography of woman pointing her finger near an man
Photo by 
closeup photography of woman smiling
Photo by 
a man doing a trick on a skateboard
Photo by 
two men 
running man on bridge
Photo by 
orange white and black bag
Photo by 
girl sitting on gray rocks
Photo by 
assorted-color painted wall with painting materials
Photo by 
three women sitting on brown wooden bench
Photo by 
Photo by 
Photo by 
Photo by 
Photo by 
people sitting on chair in front of computer
